Dungeon of Pride, Laplace



The crown that Simon took out, was crafted from a mysterious golden metal that shone brilliantly, enhancing the aura of grandeur that surrounded it. The artefact was none other than the Radiant Crown of Brilliance, that he got from the Forbidden Grounds after completing the fourth trail.

This legendary piece of artefact which holds immense power and prestige, was once held by Yelan a woman of unparalleled power and grace. Using this crown, she cut off the hand of the Atrocity, crushed his heart and sealed it somewhere for eternity.

Simon who had observed that devastating battle capable of overturning the sky and earth, knew how powerful this crown was. Despite its current damaged state, remnants of its former formidableness were evident.

The Radiant Crown of Brilliance still retained some of the residual power that made everyone who looked at it feel awestruck. The aura of a [S] tier item lingered, leaving no doubt that it was once a potent and awe-inspiring artefact.

"Oh?!! That is quite an item you got in your hands? Let me see it".

Prime took the item from Simon's hand and inspected it. There was a hint of excitement in the Lumynar's behaviour as could be observed from the multicolour lights coming from its body.

"Brat do you know what this is? This is not just any ordinary artefact. This is an ancient relic, forged through holy fire and infused with the power of hundreds of years of starlight. Its value is incomparable to any item of this day and age".

"It was an item that I got after clearing a certain trial. Although I knew it was powerful, I had no idea about its origins" Simon mentioned, his curiosity piqued by Prime's explanation.

"Well listen up" Prime started explaining in an excited voice "This crown was crafted in a time long past, during an era where the forging techniques were imbued with divine blessings. During that time, the metal used to create the artefacts, was first smelted in holy fire for a long period of time before being left in a place where the cosmic energy gathered".

"The metal absorbs the essence of starlight for hundreds of years thus granting it unparalleled strength and resilience. Not only that, I can see that it has three depressions on it, it must have been inlaid with gemstones that granted the crown its unique properties, enabling it to harness the forces in a way that no ordinary artefacts can".

The more Prime explained, the more Simon realised how exceptional the crown was. There was a newfound respect in Simon's eyes for this item.

The Radiant Crown of Brilliance. He had acquired the item through an arduous adventure, but he hadn't fully comprehended its history and significance until now.

"I wonder what kind of legendary being or leader they were to wield its divine favour. Though it's a pity, without the gemstones, this artefact cannot gain its former glory"…

"Do you mean these three crystals?" On Prime's statement, Simon took out three glistering crystals that he got as a reward from the fourth trail.

"What?! You have it?!! Why didn't you say so before?" Prime who saw the crystals in Simon's hand, was immediately rejoiced. Though the next second he shook his head saying "Although you have the Gemstones with you, it is a pity that it has lost all of its powers. To restore it back I would need things that are very hard and rare to find…".

Again while Prime was busy rambling to himself, Simon took out a couple of items one after the other and kept it in front of the tongue tied Prime.

"Eh?! These…" The latter pointed out, the colour coming out of its yellow displaying its confusion. All of the items that Simon took out, were very rare and precious, so much so that even if one searched the whole of Althaea, one might not be able to find any.

Yet here, Simon took out all these rare items one after the other as if they grew on trees. Prime's surprise was understandable; however, Simon already had all the items prepared to restore the crown. They were part of the rewards that he got from the fourth trial.

After putting down all of the items, Simon glanced towards Prime and inquired. "So, what do you think, Can you repair it?".

Prime was the one and only craftsman of his dungeon, Simon was eager to know if his newly appointed Administrator could restore the crown's former glory.

As expected of someone who he regarded as an unparalleled craftsman, Prime did not disappoint him.

"Hehe, absolutely. With all the necessary material available to me, there is no way I cannot… Gugghh!!" The Lumynar was unable to complete his sentence as his hands that was holding the crown, suddenly lurched back in pain and the item fell on the ground.

"What happened? Why did you scream in pain all of a sudden".

Prime did not reply, he simply stared at the crown in a daze before looking at Simon and questioning "That was… brat, you told me you got this item from a trial right? Then why is there this repulsive energy inside it?"..

"Repulsive energy? What do you mean?" Simon tilted his head in confusion as he picked the crown up.

"Can't you tell? That crown is plagued by a powerful curse energy. I am shocked that you are even able to hold it" Prime explained in shock, his hands that held the crown previously, were still trembling.

Simon finally realised what the Lumynar was talking about. Indeed, there were some traces of curse energy on this crown. However, it did not bother him as much as it did Prime. He did not feel any discomfort nor any repulsion from this energy.

"There seemed to be some remnants of the curse energy still latching onto the crown. Brat how; no, who did this crown belonged to?" On Prime's urging, Simon told him about the events that he had witnessed on the fourth trial, the woman who fought against the atrocity and how she sealed its heart with the crown.

"I see… so this world too huh" Prime who heard Simon's explanation, suddenly fell silent and muttered to himself. After a while, he arched his head up and glanced at the crown once again.

"Currently, the crown is slowly being corroded by a strong curse energy. If I have to repair the artefact, I must first purge this energy first".

Simon nodded his head in understanding, he personally knew how cumbersome and tricky the curse energy was. Thus he asked, "Can it be done?".

"It may end up taking longer than I thought; however, it is not impossible. Though before I agree on repairing it, I want to ask why do you want to repair this crown."…

"What do you mean?"…

"I want to know the objective of yours for repairing this crown. You do know that this artefact holds a powerful attribute that is contradictory to your own nature right? The item is imbued with the essence of starlight and holy fire, it contains divine magic which is a direct bane for all kinds of negative energy including the darkness that flows within you".

"If the crown were to be fully repaired, it could potentially become a powerful weapon that could work against you. Given this knowledge, why is it that you seek to repair it?" Prime questioned staring directly at Simon's eyes.

A contemplative expression crossed the latter's face. Just like Prime had said, Simon was aware that the divine energy that the Radiant Crown of Brilliance held, was contradictory to his own powers as a demon noble.

If the artefact was repaired, it would become a potent weapon that could potentially work against him, weakening his own dark powers.

However, he still wanted to repair it. The reason for that was that Simon couldn't shake off the feeling that there was a reason why he received the crown as a reward for the fourth trial. It had to be more than a mere coincidence.

He suspected that the Radiant Crown might hold some crucial significance for the future trials in the forbidden grounds, or perhaps even on his own future.

Deep down, he felt a nagging intuition that the crown could be an essential piece to the puzzle, and he couldn't afford to overlook its potential. It might be a quest item, something he would need to progress further in the trials and overcome the challenges that awaited him.

Despite the risks and contradictions, he couldn't dismiss the possibility that this item held a critical role in the grand scheme of things.

His decision to repair the crown was not merely based on a whim or desire for power. It was a calculated gamble, a leap of faith in his instincts as a game developer.

When he explained his reasoning to Prime, the latter nodded his head, impressed by Simon's resolve and vision. It saw the sincerity in his eyes and the determination in his voice.

"Very well," Prime said with a nod. "I will repair the Radiant Crown of Brilliance, but I will also incorporate a safeguard that will prevent its power from conflicting with yours. It will be a challenging task, but I am confident that I can achieve it."

"That will be a great help... Thank you, Prime," Simon spoke with gratitude. The latter was even going to the lengths of installing a safeguard into the crown just so that he wouldn't harm himself while trying to use the item.